Software & Digital Solutions

Containing large-size cargo for transport is challenging yet necessary to keep bundles intact for individual orders and to keep them from flying off the beds of 18-wheelers at high speeds. Allstrap Inc., Upper Arlington, Ohio, specializes in the manufacture of the steel and poly straps that hold these sizeable loads together, as well as the pneumatic and battery-operated tensioning tools that keep the straps taut.

Kentucky-based startup MakeTime announced the launch, and participating industry partners, of the MakeTime Shop Advantage Program. The first-of-its-kind program is designed to make technology, sophisticated hardware and business services more accessible to the U.S. manufacturing base, which contributes over $2 trillion to the U.S. economy annually.

In the seventh episode of The CNC Chef, Bob Warfield of the CNCCookbook outlines steps that will help you tame chatter.

Micro Technology Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., makes parts that are used to mount to automotive engine blocks to be robotically transported through assembly lines. The company uses HAAS VF-3 with CAT40 taper tools. One part is 6061 Aluminum with a tolerance requirement of +/- 0.002" and was being machined with a face mill at 3,000RPM 120IPM with 1.25" axial and 1.2" radial depth of cut.

Vero Software Ltd., Cheltenham, England, hired Sales Account Manager David Lee to represent the Edgecam and Surfcam brands from his office in Bellevue, Wash.

With digitalization and rapid changes in technology, training is more important than ever to keep employees' skills up to date with the newest industrial technologies.

The malware entered the North Carolina transmission plant's computer network via email last August, just as the criminals wanted, spreading like a virus and threatening to lock up the production line until the company paid a ransom.

UI LABS and ManpowerGroup have released a workforce analysis that identifies 165 data-centric jobs that will define the future of manufacturing in the United States. Descriptions for jobs such as collaborative robotics specialist, manufacturing cybersecurity strategist and enterprise digital ethicist give a window into the advanced skills and knowledge needed to put new technology into practice and remain globally competitive.

The primary application for ultraprecision machining is optical-grade surfaces for injection molds, which are used to make contact lenses, LEDs for TVs and head-up displays in military aircraft and luxury cars.

CAMplete TruePath is a fully integrated, easy-to-use suite of tools designed to take you from your CAM system to your 5-axis machine, quickly and safely, the company reports. With its integrated and fully customizable post-processor, CAMplete TruePath allows you to output your NC programs the way you want to.

Bob Warfield from CNCCookbook discusses some toolpath tips to help you get the most from your CAM software in the sixth episode of The CNC Chef, a video series produced in collaboration with Cutting Tool Engineering.

Adoption of production-monitoring software is growing as manufacturers search for new ways to optimize machine efficiency and maximize shop productivity, writes Makino Inc. "From large manufacturing plants to small job shops, these software technologies are enabling manufacturers to accomplish more with less." A white paper from Makino provides a detailed overview of the capabilities of prominent production-monitoring software, including both common and advanced features.